Siri Co-Founder Bids Apple Adieu (It’s Not What You Think)

Siri says hello, one of its creators says goodbye? That’s the story, according to the good folks at AllThingsD. Dag Kittlaus, whose name you’ve probably missed with all the laser-like focus on Steve Jobs, was the co-founder and CEO of the company that put the iPhone 4S’s acclaimed voice assistant software on the map.

But let’s get the drama out of the way: The departure’s been long-planned and “was amicable,” according to AllThingsD’s source. If you’re looking for a scandalous tale of bickering power players and back room turmoil, you won’t find it here.

What you will find, on the other hand, is a trifle more about one of the guys who helped drum up millions in financing to get Siri off the ground years ago. Siri wasn’t Apple’s idea, initially—Apple didn’t pick Siri up until April 2010—and in case you missed this part in all the hubbub: It was actually an app that ran on all versions of the iPhone, via the App Store, until Apple decided to make it iPhone 4S-exclusive (and yanked it from the App Store entirely).

Kittlaus is said to be leaving to be closer to his family, work on other projects, and basically take a little time off. I imagine in 2011 he’s a much wealthier person than he was three or four years ago, and maybe you’d take a breather too, if you’d just helped co-launch one of the most acclaimed software tools in recent memory.